Mary Lyon Opened Mount Holyoke

Dan Graves, MSL

Church History Timeline

Mary Lyon was blessed with an inquisitive mind and a sturdy Christian
upbringing. Born in 1797 in western Massachusetts, the sixth of eight
children, Mary's Christian roots went back to the earliest days of the
colony. Although raised on a poor farm --her father died when she was
just five--Mary grew up learning the skills necessary for a girl of her
day--spinning, weaving, sewing, and farming and acquired a thirst for
knowledge, especially in mathematics and the sciences.

She ferreted out opportunities to learn, as for example, studying
geology through questioning a visiting geologist and then making her
own observations. A willing worker, she kept house for her brother when
her mother remarried. In her teens she taught younger children, saving
her money to be able to continue her own education. (At 20 she earned
75¢ a week plus board). Often she would snatch just four hours of sleep
a day between work and study.

One of the schools she attended was operated by Rev. Joseph Emerson.
He actually "talked to ladies as if they had brains." In an age when
women were thought to have second rate minds, this was a real boost for
Mary's morale. Even more helpful was Emerson's encouragement for her to
open a school of higher learning for women.

Mary's vision was to provide affordable schooling for common people.
One way to cut costs would be to have the students themselves do as
much of the domestic work as possible. The underlying purpose, however,
was Christian. She wanted to infuse her pupils with a missionary spirit
and a sense that they ought to live their lives for God wherever his
providence might send them.

With contributions from Christian backers, Mary opened Mount Holyoke
Female Seminary in South Hadley, Massachusetts on
this day, November 8, 1836. It is the nation's oldest college
for women. Mary insisted the school not be named after her, so it was
named for a nearby mountain peak. Its motto was Psalm 144:12, "That
our daughters may be as cornerstones, polished after the similitude of
a palace."

Holyoke's curriculum was rigorous, including science, mathematics,
history, and theology. Mary Lyon served as principal for the first
twelve years, establishing a model of excellence and Christian living
for the students. Her chapel lectures from Proverbs as well as her
other addresses to the young women were full of timeless spiritual
advice and practical applications. Though a plain person, Mary always
spoke with conviction and magnetism--her radiant personality shining
through her plain exterior.